Four Palestinian militants were killed when their car was blown up in the Gaza Strip today and a fifth standing nearby also died in the blast which Palestinians and an Israeli security source said was caused by Israel.
The killings raised tensions three days before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets US President George W. Bush in Washington.
"This means it (Israel) does not want calm. It wants the continuation of the escalation against our mighty people," Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
A senior Palestinian security official, said an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at the car. An Israeli security source said it was booby-trapped.
The Israeli army did not comment on the deaths of the five men, whom a statement from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), part of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), identified as its members.